Is It Safe To Eat Raw Eggs?

Many recipes, such as mayonnaise, edible cookie dough, authentic carbonara and tiramisu, and some pie fillings, call for uncooked eggs. But consuming raw eggs puts you at a greater risk of foodborne illness. What to do?

Use pasteurized eggs and egg products.

"Pasteurization" is a process of heating food gently enough to not to change the properties of a food product, but high enough to kill bacteria that may otherwise cause foodborne illnesses. In the case of raw eggs, pasteurization assures the elimination of salmonella which causes food poisoning.

Don't be too scared if you've accidentally eaten raw, unpasteurized egg though! The chances of salmonella contamination are actually quite low. However, if you're planning to share your food with children, pregnant women, immunocompromised individuals, or are planning to sell your products, then it is imperative that you only use pasteurized eggs.

Locally, you might not find this in the supermarket. Instead, you can buy them directly from sources like OVONOVO. They sell bottles and packets of egg yolks, egg whites, or whole eggs you can refrigerate or freeze.

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Another option is to adapt the recipes by gently cooking the eggs. Mix the egg and sugar (or any liquid called for in the recipe)-¼ cup sugar or liquid per egg-and cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until it reaches 160 degrees F (71 degrees C). (Be careful not to overheat the eggs and accidentally make sweet scrambled eggs.) Cool the heated egg mixture in an ice bath then proceed with the recipe.

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What if your recipe isn't sweet?

Place your eggs in a pot of water, and heat until you reach 142 degrees F (61 degrees C). Maintain that heat for three minutes. (It's important you don't heat it any further.) Then cool down your eggs by rinsing in cold water. You can now store it in the refrigerator for immediate or later use.

Feature was published in the January/February 2012 issue of Yummy magazine. Edits have been made by the Yummy.ph editors.